Couple to tell tale of hiking Appalachian Trail in 6 months

A year ago, Oak Ridgers “Yak” and “Stitch” were among some 1,700 backpackers who planned to hike the entire 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting from Georgia and ending in Maine.

Carolyn Krause

A year ago, Oak Ridgers “Yak” and “Stitch” were among some 1,700 backpackers who planned to hike the entire 2,181 miles of the Appalachian Trail, starting from Georgia and ending in Maine.

On March 7, the second day of their hike after leaving Springer Mountain, Yak felt knee pain from overtraining after a cold night in their tent. Both Yak and Stitch nursed doubts about whether they were truly prepared to hike the trail and be away from home for six months.

But the married couple persisted with faith and humor. They were among the 414 northbound hikers who completed the trail in 2011. Only about 20 percent of potential thru-hikers start and finish it.

“Yak” is the trail name for Paul Akers, a retired machinist from the Y-12 National Security Complex who enjoys kayaking. “Stitch” is Barbara Reeve, veterinarian and owner of the Jackson Square Animal Clinic, who stitches animal wounds.

Both native Oak Ridgers will talk about their experiences and present an entertaining slide show set to mountain music at 6:15 p.m. Wednesday at First Presbyterian Church, where they were married.

The presentation is free. Those planning to attend are invited to an optional $4 dinner at 5:15 p.m. in the church’s fellowship hall.

Most successful thru-hikers are in their 20s, but others are often in their 50s or older.

“Very few complete a thru-hike as a team, and even fewer married couples make it,” Reeve said.

Why attempt such a long hike?

“We both enjoyed outdoor activities as scouts, and Yak needed a good reason to retire,” Reeve said. “The economic slowdown at my clinic allowed me to take a sabbatical.”

The couple averaged 12 miles a day. Some days they hiked 15 to 20 miles; other days, five to 10 miles. But they hiked 10 to 15 miles on 80 different days.

In New England, some parts of the trail consisted of huge rocks on slopes. Other parts were creeks that were sometimes waist high. The trail ended in a climb up Mount Katahdin.

They left the trail several times for a day or two to attend relatives’ weddings and recover from injuries.

They enjoyed their encounters with other hikers, bears and a moose, but not with numerous gnats, mosquitoes and deer ticks. Several hikers left the trail with Lyme disease.

The secrets of their success? They cared for their feet, avoiding blisters. They savored the beauty of spring wildflowers, New England ponds and numerous mountain views.

They spent a year doing research, training for the hike and buying good gear: full-suspension backpacks, trail shoes, trekking poles, a lightweight tent and sleeping pad.

Before leaving, they packed 18 boxes of trail food to be sent to towns along the trail. They shopped for food in trail towns where they charged their smartphone and sent and received messages.

Using a trail map, they found reliable stream sources of water, which they treated with chlorine dioxide drops before drinking. Yak and Stitch were prepared for their adventure after all.